Drum'n'bass, as a general rule, is a genre that's always been popular and attracted a lot of attention amongst those between the ages of 16 and 25. Still, it's also a genre in which most of the artists are entirely faceless. I know a lot of people who regularly go to drum'n'bass club nights, and yet can't name more than 2 or 3 D&B artists. They just know the songs. So, in a lot of ways, Hold Your Colour is an album that's been threatening to happen for a long time - here, for the first time since Goldie, is a credible drum & bass artist everyone can name. "Slam", "Tarantula", and "Fasten Your Seatbelts" have been everywhere over the past year (at least, in club terms), and it's easy to see why; they're accessible and catchy without losing any of the energy or anything-goes spirit that makes all the D&B people can't put a name to so exciting. "Slam", in particular, was one of 2005's finest songs. And, crucially, everybody knows who Pendulum are. There are probably better albums out there (truth be told, 3 or 4 of the songs here are fairly boring), but this is an anomoly; a drum'n'bass record that reached a crowd outside dedicated internet forums. For that alone, it should be applauded.
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